102 The Horse Farrier. 



turbid, and even for the muddiest pool. He is injured, 

 however, not so much by the hardness of the well-wa- 

 ter, as by its coldness — particularly by its coldness in 

 summer, and when it is in many degrees below the 

 temperature of the atmosphere. The water in the 

 brook and the pond being warmed by long exposure 

 to the air, as well as having become soft, the horse 

 drinks freely of it without danger. 



If the horse were watered three times a day, and es- 

 pecially in summer, he would often be saved from the 

 sad torture of thirst, and from many a disease. 



AGE. 



To be able to ascertain the age of a horse, with tol- 

 erable certainty, is a subject of considerable importance 

 to every person who may have occasion to purchase. 



The following rules will enable any man to ascertain 

 with tolerable certainty the age of any horse. Every 

 horse has six teeth above and below : before he arrives 

 at the age of three, he sheds his two middle teeth, by 

 the young teeth rising and shoving the old ones out 

 of their place. When he arrives at the age of three, 

 he sheds one more on each side of the middle teeth ; 

 when four years old, he sheds two corner and the last of 

 his fore teeth ; between four and five, he cuts his under 

 tusks, and when five, will cut his upper tusks, and have 

 a mouth full and complete; his teeth appearing to have 

 their full growth, except the tusks, and will be even, 

 regularly placed, and pretty much grooved on the in- 

 side, with hollows of a very dark brown color. There 

 is also a very plain difference between colt's and horse's 

 teeth ; the colt's being without grooves and hollows, 

 and never so large and strong. Some horses are with- 



